Unknowingly
by HeathenVampires
Summary: Modern AU. Learning to live with her new-found freedom, Valka takes up an evening art class. She's still not sure how that led to her waking up next to the young man who'd been leading it. Hiccup/Valka Valcup (warning for accidental-incest)
1. Chapter 1

***stretches* Yes, my Valcup minions. It is time for a lil accidental-incest Valcup one shot. So, yeah Valka's Hiccup's mom, but, well, _they_ don't know that. **

**Let's have some fun!**

-HTTYD-

Gods, she hadn't dreamt it. Valka hid her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes, but the man in her bed was not a hallucination caused by the early hour. He was still fast asleep, his choppy auburn hair even more 'just-fucked' looking than last night, and faint red lines running down his back.

Well, both of those things were probably her fault. Given that she had... and _repeatedly,_ or at least for a prolonged amount of time, judging by the dull ache she felt between her thighs, a considerable amount of time intimacy-free followed by some very _athletic_ reintroductions to sex. She wracked her sleep-addled mind, trying to remember exactly how she'd found herself in such a ridiculous situation.

Oh. Right. Art class.

Valka was celebrating her freedom, having fallen into something of a rut after her divorce and dissuaded from many of her hobbies by her now _ex_ -husband. So when she saw an advert for an evening art class while walking past the Community Centre one night, she figured _what the Hel?_

She had _not_ been planning to find the guy who ran the class so obscenely attractive. Especially when he was, what, twenty years her junior? She was literally old enough to be his mother, not that that had seemed to slow him down. She shivered slightly, memories of the previous night and all his searching touches, hungry mouth, filth whispered in her ear as he took her from behind - what was she, a teenager? Oh, she'd clearly experienced some kind of temporary insanity the night before. That was the only explanation for bringing him back with her, for letting him take her to bed.

Wait.

Valka groaned into her hand - she hadn't even been drunk, but her mind seemed to be rebelling against what she'd done last night, and fed her the memories in bits and pieces - as she remembered they hadn't actually _made_ it to the bed first time. He'd basically tackled her to the sofa, her hands on his belt as his hiked up her skirt. They'd had sex on her sofa. That had actually happened.

Fuck, he was waking up.

What was his name again?

He rolled onto his back, stubble clouding his face, rasping against his hand when he rubbed at his sleepy eyes, blinking as he looked over at her.

"Oh. Hey. You didn't leave."

Was it wrong that his sleep-roughened voice was kind of arousing?

"This is my house."

Blinking, he peered around.

"Oh yeah. You didn't kick me out, then."

He stretched, covers shifting down to around his waist and exposing his bare chest, lean frame elongated by his stretching. Valka usually went for a thicker built man, but she didn't remember having any complaints last night.

"Should I have done?"

He shook his head, offering her a sleepy smile.

"Are you freaking out?"

Was she that obvious?

"About?"

"I don't know... one night stand. Age difference. Sex with a near-stranger. Your art work last night. Anything."

It was only as his eyes slid down that Valka realised she too was naked under the covers, and said covers had fallen from her grip at some point, so her chest was bared to his eyes. She expected him to be recoiling from her in the cold light of day - he was a young man and her body was _not_ that of a young woman - but if anything, she felt like he was interested in another round.

"I-I um, I don't know."

He chuckled, rolling over and sliding a bold hand up over the covers on her hip, brushing the bare skin of her lower back and Valka moved to his will, letting him pull her closer.

"I don't regret anything. I still think you're hot. I'm not concerned that you're older. Your art was _incredible._ Is that everything?"

Then his mouth was on her neck, hand sliding down beneath the duvet to grope her ass and Valka shuddered, moaning despite herself. She ought to stop him, she really, _really_ ought to...

"What's your name?"

He pulled back, frowning. Gods, had she said that out loud?

"Is this about the Hiccup thing again? I told you, everyone calls me that."

Hiccup? Wait. She remembered that now. He didn't seem to think she had actually forgotten his name entirely in her shock over the twenty-something in her bed. That was good.

"It can't be your real name."

"No, it's not. But that didn't stop you repeating it. Over and over and _over._ "

Valka flushed as he - Hiccup, really? - resumed touching her, lips slightly dry and very warm on her collarbone, something digging in to her stomach as he pulled her closer. She realised with a thrill he was hard, felt herself growing wet with his ministrations and any semblance of 'this should stop' slipping from her mind faster and faster. She'd already gone mad; what was one more time?

Hiccup had suddenly vanished from her collar, Valka opening her eyes to see him disappear beneath the covers, his reasoning clear very quickly as she felt warm breath against her thigh, a hot tongue on her clit.

"Ohhh" she bit her lip, trying to stay quiet but gods it was hard "H-Hiccup!"

The covers were lifted, revealing dark green eyes glittering at her from the shadowed space.

"Don't you _dare_ get quiet on me now."

They must have had that conversation last night; it was still a little hazy for Valka. Hiccup dropped the covers, resuming his 'work' of driving Valka completely insane with his oral attentions, quiet soon disappearing from her mind along with sense as he drew all sorts of sounds from her. When was she last touched like _this?_ Oh, it was good though.

Even what she remembered was nothing spectacular - it had just been a prelude, a rush to get her ready for the main event when the spark of her marriage had long faded, the man who had used to delight in studying her every twist and shiver reducing their sex life to functional, and then non-existent.

Hiccup kept going until Valka was shuddering, shaking, grabbing at his head over the covers. She wasn't sure if it was to slow him down or push him closer, all she knew was the tingling that filled her body, toes curling, back arching, thighs tightening around him as he brought her to orgasm. He reappeared as she lay limply on the bed, licking lewdly at his wet lips and wiping his mouth half-heartedly on his hand.

"Oh my..."

His smug grin was answer enough, but apparently he liked to go the extra mile.

"Yeah, you liked that last night too."

Her face flushed - more than it already was - as Hiccup rose up on his knees, dislodging what little covers there was over them. It bared them both fully, and Valka immediately wanted to cover herself up. Hiccup didn't seem to care about his own nudity, erection jutting out proudly from between narrow hips, the canvas of his skin littered with freckles and a few little scars here and there.

"I guess we should like, leave your bed some time."

Valka found herself frowning, confused.

"Don't you want me to..."

She gestured vaguely, unsure what she was planning to say. Hiccup looked down, shrugged.

"Oh. You can if you want, but you don't _have_ to. I'm not keeping score, I just wanted another memory of the way you _sound_ when I go down on you, in case you freak out later and I don't get another chance."

Was he always so _blunt?_ Gods, Valka wasn't sure where to look. And he was really probably right. She was fairly sure without him there, all chilled out and unconcerned about the age gap and everything else, she was definitely going to push the incident to the back of her mind, get on with more acceptable things for a woman in her forties.

"I want to."

She might as well get it while he was there, she supposed. Hiccup grinned, all but pouncing on her and Valka knew the taste on his lips was _her,_ but then he wasn't paying her morning-breath any mind either as he kissed her, fingers sliding down from her jaw to her neck, then down to play idly with her breast. She pressed into him shamelessly, much to his apparent delight as he touched her more firmly.

It was almost more than her nervous hands could do, but Valka managed to push Hiccup down on his back, his eyes lighting up as Valka dared to touch him in turn. She was probably terrible, out of practice at more than hasty, functional marital sex with a long-term partner and no spark. Instead she had this young, handsome man who eyed her like he couldn't want to get his hands on her again, who made her belly flutter when he groaned as her hand curled around his erection.

"Gods Valka, you're so fucking hot. I'd love to paint you naked."

She suspected that might have been a truly bizarre compliment from anyone else, but then they had met at an art class. Valka could remember now, watching his hands, the way he gestured animatedly as he spoke, feeling like he was undressing her with his eyes from across a classroom full of people...

"O-ohhh fuck, your mouth is amazing."

Hiccup arched, groaning when Valka took him into her mouth, his breath hitching when her tongue ran over his tip. She couldn't possibly have been as good as he was acting like she was, but when she watched him buck, heard him grunt, felt his eyes hot on her... Valka couldn't see anything but genuine pleasure. He kept up the steady stream of praise, encouraging Valka, urging her indirectly to stop being so damned nervous about it and focus on having fun. She didn't expect it to turn her on, but the sounds he made, the feel of him hot and hard in her mouth... they were making her hot again.

"What's wrong?"

"I uh... condom."

Apparently complete sentences were beyond her now.

"Oh" Hiccup wriggled away from her, leaning over the end of the bed for a minute before resurfacing "here."

"You found that quickly."

He chuckled, unabashed.

"I went to the pharmacy on my way to work last night, I happened to have a new box on me. Lucky really, since you didn't have any in."

Valka tore open the little square, sheathing him with slightly shaking hands, not sure she had it in her to get on top of him. Hiccup didn't miss a beat, reaching for Valka, rolling her under him and settling his lean hips between her thighs.

"You sure you're up for this?"

She was a little sore, admittedly, but Valka doubted she was going to have this chance again and nodded, felt Hiccup brush against her as he edged closer. Reaching down, she guided him until he was inching in, hissing slightly at the ache but equally hungry to feel him all the same.

"You ok?"

"Mmm. You're... big."

It wasn't a lie; he wasn't overly long but had a generous girth, at odds with his long, narrow build but he filled her wonderfully, hand running down her side to cup her ass and pull Valka against him just a little more.

"Hey now, it's about the painter, not the brush. But thank you."

Valka wondered if, given time, he'd spend more time making ridiculous art jokes during sex. She probably wouldn't find out, but when he started moving Valka didn't _care._ The stretch and ache was lost in the dart of pleasure each time his stomach pressed to her clit, his thrusts steady, solid. Hiccup watched her the whole time, eyes greedily taking in every gasp and shudder and twist, observing Valka like she was something amazing he couldn't help but stare rapturously at.

She watched him in turn, the flexing of the wiry muscles in his arms and shoulders, eyes sliding down to see his cock slide in and out of her in something akin to disbelief - how was this happening? Yesterday she was a middle-aged divorcee just trying to live a little more. None of that included ending up in bed with a man half her age, feeling a merciless pleasure threaten to overwhelm her when less than an hour ago she was trying to work out if he was a hallucination.

His eyes fell closed as his mouth fell open, letting out huffs and pants as he moved a little quicker, pushing them both higher with his deep, hard thrusts. Valka felt her hands tighten on his back, the puckered skin of last nights scratches tangible under her fingers. Hiccup stuttered, the surge of his hips in short, sharp bucks followed by his low whine of exhiliration was a pretty good hint he was done - the sight of him shuddering, his face conveying his ecstacy, it was enough for Valka to barely even feel disappointed he'd not lasted enough for her.

Hiccup was not satisfied with that, she quickly discovered, as he pulled out only to replace his cock with his fingers, precision-aimed pressure against her g-spot as his thumb rubbed her clit, dragging Valka thrashing over the edge with him until they were both spent, sweaty, drawing in ragged breaths and she found herself sharing that satisfied grin with him despite herself.

"Now we _really_ need to get up. It's still pretty early but... I could spend much longer in bed with you and then I'd be late for work."

He drew away from her - reluctantly, she could see by the way his eyes slid down her body - and promised not to be long, but he needed to clean up quickly in the bathroom. Valka immediately tugged the covers back over herself, hyper-aware of her own nakedness again now he wasn't pressed tightly against her.

Hiccup was back a couple of minutes later, cleaner and retrieving his clothes from where they littered Valka's room haphazardly. She scolded herself for looking, but he really did have quite a nice backside to ogle. He caught her looking, threw Valka a wink and leant against the wall, clearly intending to watch her rise nude from the bed.

 _Get a grip Valka. It's hardly a **new** sight to him._

Swallowing her insecurity for a moment, Valka forced herself out from the safety of the covers. Hiccup made no secret of watching her, but there was only open want and desire on his face as he watched her reach for her dressing gown, wrapping it around herself.

"Spoilsport. Do you mind if I go get a drink?"

"Oh, of course, help yourself."

Hiccup grinned, crossed the room and kissed Valka soundly; he tasted of her mouthwash, had obviously rinsed in the bathroom. She scurried along to the bathroom, relieving herself and having a quick wash, intending to shower once he was no longer in her house. Then she could quietly melt down about it all in peace.

Wearing a comfortable jumper and pyjama bottoms - how on earth did Hiccup still look at her like he'd happily have her for breakfast in those? - Valka entered her kitchen, found Hiccup still shirtless and rummaging in her cupboards, finally locating what he was after.

"Do you not drink coffee?"

"Not often, why?"

"Most people keep it near the kettle, for sleepy morning caffeine needs."

A few moments later found them sat either side of her little kitchen island, sipping from cups that had curls of steam rising from the liquid within.

"So... no pressure, just curiousity. Are you coming back to my class again? I promise not to fall victim to your womanly wiles, if it helps."

"Why does that matter to you?"

"Well, honestly, because you are so damned talented and so if you said no, I would have asked that you do _something_ to continue nurturing your gift. Not that I wouldn't like to see you again. Because I would."

He'd put down his mug, looking more serious than Valka could remember him looking all morning.

"I... honestly, I don't know. But if I don't, I promise to keep making art."

Hiccup lifted his mug again, smiling.

"I'm glad."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty two last month."

Valka closed her eyes, felt a tug in the back of her mind from a memory she _did not need_ there and then. Shooing it away, she hid her face in her mug for a minute until she was sure her voice would not crack.

"I'm forty three end of this year."

"So? You're _gorgeous,_ and I don't just mean 'for your forties' or whatever. I mean, just generally, you're stunning. I had to leave the room when you first walked in so I wouldn't get caught staring."

He was so earnest, eyes begging Valka to believe him but she honestly just wanted him to _go._ She barely waited for him to drain the last of his mug, letting conversation fade to barely a word before lying and saying she had better go shower before work. She didn't have work that day.

"Yeah, I should get going. Well uh... I hope I'll be seeing you again, but I guess I understand if not. It's been a blast, Valka."

Hiccup finished re-dressing, stole another kiss from her lips, and then the door was closed and he was gone. She slumped against the wall, running a hand over her face. His age... gods, that had stung.

Not just because it was a stark reminder she'd fucked a guy half her age. But because she was _literally_ old enough to be his mother, down to the month. Down to the month she'd had her own son. Down to the month she'd had to give him up. Hiccup had stirred up all sorts of things in her mind, unintentionally of course, but now Valka was left with memories rattling in their box, demanding to be freed and fretted over.

She remembered being barely twenty, heavily pregnant and abandoned by the father. Viggo had offered to marry her, but refused to raise another mans child. Valka didn't feel like she had much choice in the matter back then, between pressure from her parents ("the shame of a babe out of wedlock!") and a man she was assured was quite the catch. He'd been handsome and charming in those days... and assured her they would have their _own_ child soon enough. He'd waited until Valka was his wife to change his mind, and Valka had been raised to just... make do in any given situation. It was the only reason their marriage had lasted so long, until even she could take it no longer.

But none of that changed the truth. That she had a _son_ Hiccup's age. Somewhere. She'd never forgotten the pain of her baby boy being ripped from her arms.

Maybe... maybe she could find him.

-HTTYD-

 **Oh no, Valka! Don't do that. It probably won't end well.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I totally planned to leave this as a one shot but like, I need some Valcup smut and I need it now.**

-HTTYD-

"So. most of you were here last time, welcome back. And to the newcomers, welcome!"

Hiccup wouldn't deny he was disappointed Valka hadn't come back. He hadn't really expected her to, but still. He would have been very happy to watch her paint again. Amongst other things...

Dragging his brain away from _that_ direction, Hiccup was about to start moving on to what they were doing that week when the door at the back of the classroom creaked open, revealing the gorgeous woman he'd trysted with last week. That was still a surprise; she clearly wasn't the one night stand type. He wasn't either, but, well, she was irresistible. He was only human.

"Not too late am I?"

"Not at all. Grab a seat, we were just about to start."

Valka shuffled into a seat halfway down the room, and Hiccup had to remember not to stare at her before somebody noticed. Returning to introducing the class, Hiccup got them started and meandered around the room. He loved the variety of people in there. Some were naturally gifted, others clearly practiced, and yet more weren't masterpieces in the making but they were there to have _fun._

And then Valka... she was in a league of her own really, her lines seeming chaotic until they all came together beautifully, an innovative command of colour and just generally creating incredible things on a canvas. He was incredibly glad she'd come back to nurture her gift; it was clearly natural, some of her movements showing a lack of recent practice, but gods she was creative.

The class ran for two hours, and not everyone stayed the full time. If they were done, then people could grab a drink and chat in the corner, but Valka was intently working right until Hiccup called time. Everyone else had done it before the class started, but since she'd been late...

"Valka, don't forget you still owe me."

If he wasn't mistaken, Hiccup caught a flush on her cheeks as she nodded and hid back behind her canvas. The others filtered out, many excitedly letting Hiccup know they'd be back next week, and he even got a pretty suggestive smile from a cute blonde who'd had a... _unique_ way of painting. But, truth be told? Hiccup only had eyes for one woman that evening, and she was loitering in putting her art over against the wall to dry overnight. Then the day janitor put them away, and people could opt to collect their work the next week.

"You were astounding, as usual."

Valka nodded, staying oddly silent as she handed money over to Hiccup. He took it, adding it to his lockbox at the front to sort with the community centre later. When he turned back, Valka had not yet moved.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, cheeks still a little pink as she shuffled in place for a minute.

"I uh, I wanted to apologise. For all but chasing you out last week."

"Oh. I didn't feel chased out, if that helps. I just thought I should get going and not overstay my welcome... after the caffeine. Relax Valka. I had a good time, and I hope you did too. I'm not begrudging you wanting your space in the morning, especially since I got the feeling you don't do the one nighters much."

"I don't. I was married for over twenty years. We divorced last year and why am I telling you this?"

Hiccup grinned.

"I have one of those faces. So... did you want anything else? Cus I'm meant to be out of here by quarter past. If you want someone to talk to, I'm free after I cash out with the manager."

Valka nodded stiffly after a minute, and after Hiccup went to the managers office, he found her outside.

"So, my place? Your place? A lovely moonlit walk? I am flexible."

After a little more deliberating - Hiccup did his best not to be too obvious about his attraction to her - Valka actually agreed to go back to his place. Hiccup wondered if it would feel more intimate to invite him back to hers again or not, or perhaps she simply wanted the easy option of escaping. Or to check his home wasn't full of dismembered body parts or something.

"I walk here, it's not far but if you wanna take your car, we'll be there in under five minutes."

The short trip was mostly quiet, but she didn't bolt. Hiccup suspected she wasn't totally sure _what_ she wanted, and he wasn't going to come on strong to her, but after she mentioned the whole divorce thing, he could tell she didn't offload as much as she needed to. So he was happy to do his best to put her at ease, leading her to his home and chuckling as _someone_ made a big fuss of her immediately.

"Toothless, you pest."

"Oh, you are lovely!"

Valka was taken immediately with his dog, who bowled around her legs and sniffed her.

"Sorry, I didn't even think to warn you about my dog."

"Oh, no warning needed, he is adorable!"

Well, he was glad to see her smiling again. Toothless grumbled happily when scratched behind the ears, glaring when Hiccup shooed him back to his bed, limping along happily.

"What's..."

"Wrong with him? You can say it. He's a rescue, they were gonna put him down but gods, the minute I saw him in that shelter I knew he was for me. We've had four good years so far, haven't we buddy?"

Valka watched him kneel down to rub Toothless' head, nuzzling the canine.

"So, can I get you a drink? Tea? Coffe- no wait, you don't like coffee. I have tea, hot chocolate... or wine, if you want to have a drunken heart to heart. Whatever tickles your fancy."

Once she'd decided, Hiccup plied her with tea, made himself one and perched at his kitchen side, Toothless snoring lightly from the living room.

"Soooooo... did you want to talk about your divorce?"

"Why do you even care?"

Hiccup shrugged, sipped his tea.

"I am a caring guy. And you seemed keen enough to talk that you came back with me, even though part of you is clearly unsure. Look, yes, last week was fun but I am not going to try and jump you. I'm just... the kind of person to lend an ear and a warm drink. If that fails, you may cuddle my dog."

That earned him a short laugh, almost lost as she lifted the mug to her mouth. Hiccup tried not to think about how pretty her mouth was, how good it had felt... _no, Hiccup. Stop it._ After a few quiet sips of drinks, she actually started talking.

"That was how I ended up in your class to begin with. I was _bored,_ in a rut after the divorce and I realised I hadn't done anything simply for the sake of enjoying it, not properly, in about twenty years."

"Wow. Then why are you so panicked about us hooking up last week? If anything, I think that counts as a bonus. You are allowed to have sex with someone just for the sake of having sex, of enjoying yourself. Sex feels good. I am pretty sure you agreed back then. It doesn't have to be a big deal, you just did something for the sake of pleasure. Just like art class."

Valka shrugged, her slim shoulders lifting and pulling the fabric over her chest tighter for a second. Hiccup swallowed. He really needed to put a lid on his wayward thoughts.

"I was raised to think rather more conservatively about sex. We are from different generations you know."

Her voice shook slightly, just at the end, barely noticeable but definitely there. Hiccup let it slide; if she wanted to, she'd go deeper.

"All the more reason. Embrace new life. You're a new woman. We all become different people through our lives. I'm not suggesting you become a raging cougar hunting out young men in their prime, nor am I saying it's wrong if you do. But don't feel you have to be everything you were before, just without the husband. Try new things. Find new you."

"Do you moonlight as a life coach or something?"

Hiccup laughed, seeing her face shift as he spoke.

"Nope. My parents divorced when I was a teenager, my dad took it really hard and he kept trying to recapture something that was gone. Eventually, he started to find new him."

They chatted until mugs were empty, and when Hiccup offered a refill Valka declined. He was expecting her to leave, rather reluctant to see her go, but instead he found her very, very close.

"I don't know what it is about you... but, you make me feel things."

Resisting the urge to make a lewd comment, Hiccup could relate; Valka was intense, drew him in like an enigma wrapped in a soft brown skirt.

"Well, maybe that was the great sex. We could try again, see if you get the same results."

Damnit. He hadn't meant to do that. Luckily, Valka didn't seem deterred, leaning in and kissing him. A soft sound echoed in the back of her throat when Hiccup's arms slid around her, pulled her tight against him to kiss her more firmly, feel her warmth soak through their clothes.

"Where's your bedroom?"

Heart skipping a beat at her breathy, hungry whisper, Hiccup grabbed her hand and led her toward it. Clothes seemed to be shed along the way, undoubtedly leaving a trail of minor destruction until he was shirtless and shoeless, while Valka was down her shoes, her jumper and her button up shirt. He grumbled about the extra layers, finding a soft white vest beneath the shirt.

"I can't believe I'm doing this again."

Her disbelief didn't seem to be slowing her down, since Valka's leg slid over the side of his before they rolled until she was straddling him. Hiccup had hoped she would last time, but Valka had been too shy. Maybe this time...

"Me either. Gods, your body is amazing."

Valka actually made a light scoffing sound at that, which left Hiccup frowning.

"What?"

"I don't... I'm not a young woman anymore. My body is-"

"Why do you think only young womens bodies are attractive? I know you're older, I _like_ that."

Managing to work off that bloody vest, Hiccup turned them over again and kissed his way from her lips to her belly, peppering more kisses all the way down until she was squirming, torn between giggling and moaning. He undid the fastening of her skirt, tugged it off of those incredible, miles-long legs. He undid his jeans, shoving them down before crawling back up the bed, needy fingers pulling him closer until they were kissing again. His own hands were exploring her, feeling the softness of her belly, the roundness of her hips, delighting even in the faint streaks of silver-grey in her otherwise reddish-brown hair. which was braided and seemed to go _alllll_ the way down her back, bottom of the braid residing somewhere around her butt.

They groped and tugged and playfully wrestled until both were naked at last, her hand sliding around his cock to stroke his erection, eyes watching him ravenously as Hiccup bucked into her grip, quivering when she ran her thumb around his glans. Hiccup stopped her only because it was impossible for him to move down while she did that, already sliding down her body again and smirking as Valka moaned, arching when his mouth found its goal. Gods, she was _so_ responsive, incredible to experience as she bucked and writhed, fighting to stay quiet at first but Hiccup knew she couldn't keep it up, panting and stifled whimpers becoming moans as he licked her, thrilling in the heady taste of her arousal and the way she trembled under him.

Fingers joined his tongue, working Valka inside and out until she came with a shout, fisting at his sheets, even tugging at his hair while her thighs tightened on his head, until she finally went lax upon his bed, flushed and breathless and exquisite to look at.

"My gods..."

Hiccup grinned.

"I didn't think I'd get another chance, couldn't resist."

She offered him a faintly giddy smile, hand coming up to push sweat damp hairs from her face.

"I... I am not complaining."

"No, I didn't think you would. You seem quite... _enthusiastic_ when you get going."

Valka rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. Wiping at his face, Hiccup was pulled back toward her for a kiss that left him dizzy, cock twitching when Valka rolled them. He could see the shyness flicker across her face as she straddled him, ran his hands over her thighs, wished he could convey how fucking sexy she looked like that.

"If you're uncomfortable, you don't have to. But, well, I really wouldn't mind if you did."

She bit her lip, fingers flexing against his chest for a minute before slowly rolling her hips, pressing wetness against his swollen cock and watching avidly as Hiccup groaned, arching up into her. They continued that way for a minute or so, building, breathing, her movements beginning to get a little more frantic as she grew hotter. Hiccup watched with rapt eyes as Valka moved, drawn in by the way her mouth parted on moans, eyes closed, losing herself in the feelings of pleasure rather than self-consciousness at last. He'd have happily let her bring them both off like that, but she was the one to still.

"You have condoms?"

He had to stretch to reach without dislodging her, but it was a miniscule price to pay for watching Valka sheath him, feeling her guide him, having her sink down him inch by beautifully agonising inch until they were flush. Hiccup felt himself pulled into wet warmth, hips flexing as Valka settled, humming. He waited for her to get going, not wanting to spook her, but once she did Hiccup kept up a steady stream of encouragement, thrilling as her tension eased more and more until she was focused only on the heat between them, not how she looked - even though she looked _incredible_ and he was ecstatic she'd been brave enough.

Valka rode him steadily, finding her rhythm and leaning further forward until she could plant sloppy, breathless kisses against his lips, still moving her hips. Hiccup slid his hands up over her lower back, pulling her tighter still to him, thrusting up into her willing body and _gods,_ the way she moaned against his mouth was indescribable. Her hands moved to pin his shoulders in place, mischief written across her mouth as she rode him harder, eyes alight when Hiccup began to tilt from enjoyment to desperation, to her pushing him to the edge so quickly it almost hurt.

She tested his stamina like nobody Hiccup had ever met; but she also responded to him more intensely than any before her and Hiccup was quickly growing hooked on it. Valka keened when Hiccup slid his fingers down her belly, stroking her clit and urging her to come before him, aching to climax with the vision of her blissed out, mindless with ecstacy. His efforts were rewarded with the spasms that wracked her frame, feeling her push down harder against him those last few seconds before her pace began to slow. Hiccup moved a little quicker, his own end claiming him in a rush of heat.

Loathe as he was to lose the sight of her atop him, a masterpiece in living form, Hiccup reluctantly tumbled her back to the bed, ditching the condom and wiping off with a tissue from his bedside before turning back, revelling in those last minutes of watching Valka in the afterglow, lazy smiles and glowing with satisfaction. He could get used to that... but he doubted Valka would go for it. She was reticent enough about the age gap for a one night stand. Well. Two night stand.

He doubted she would even _consider_ anything more serious, especially not yet. Still. Hiccup could wait. See if she came around on the age thing for sex before he contemplated more.

"I don't know why I trust you so."

Hiccup shrugged, at least until Valka turned her body and shuffled into him, effectively a cuddle.

"Me either. But you can. I promise I'm a trustworthy guy."

Valka hummed, staying in her cuddle-position against him and Hiccup had zero complaints.

"I... I have a son your age."

"O-oh."

Ok. He hadn't been expecting that. He knew she was old enough that it could easily be true. But he'd been to her place, and there were no... pictures or mementos of anyone that looked even remotely younger than her, some of what he took to be her parents and that was about it.

"I've never met him. I was young, I had to give him up. I... I haven't told anybody that for a long time. Meeting you last week... it's stirred so much up."

"Well, you wanna talk about it?"

He had no idea what he'd offer her on the matter other than a willing ear, but Hiccup would happily offer it all the same. Valka shook her head.

"Not really. I just want to lie here for a little while."

Well, Hiccup could offer that too.

"That's fine by me."

-HTTYD-

 **Welp, I can totally control myself and stick with one shots...**


	3. Chapter 3

**I just wrote something heartbreaking and needed my OTP feels.**

 **There's a vague story idea in this somewhere, but I won't lie and say this chapter is committed to progression so much as smut and snuggling feels.**

-HTTYD-

He was... rougher with her that night. Valka wasn't sure it was _healthy_ how much she enjoyed it.

They weren't even undressed. Hiccup had her pinned face-first against the wall, her skirt hiked up and his jeans barely undone before he was inside her, her body wet and needy for him when he'd shoved her against her front door and kissed her hungrily. She thrilled in his height, knowing if he were shorter this would be tricky but _fuck_ he filled her perfectly. One of his hands was clutching so tightly at her hip it hurt, nails threatening to tear the skin as he fucked her with a near-brutal pace.

Hiccup _bit_ her, teeth sinking into her shoulder and Valka felt it acutely even through her clothes. He grunted, bucking harder against her and murmuring words in her ear that he could feel how tight she was, wanting to feel her come on his cock and Valka could barely breathe for how close she was. He panted a plea against her ear, one Valka would normally be far too shy to indulge but her hand moved anyway, snaking down under her rucked up skirt to press to her clit, legs almost giving out on her as she shuddered and shook through the powerful climax.

He wasn't far behind her, a last few jerky thrusts before Hiccup slumped against her back, gasping as raggedly as her as they fought to catch their breath.

Valka couldn't really explain why she kept going back. Nor could she understand why Hiccup kept letting her.

The art class had been going for six weeks, and this was the fifth time Valka had had sex with him afterwards. The other time, the previous week, was only lacking in sex because Valka had her period. She'd not actually gone to the class that week, and when she quietly admitted that reason to Hiccup earlier, he looked at her like she was insane.

"You know we don't have to... whatever you call this, to come to class. Although I do feel increasingly awkward charging you for foreplay."

"Excuse me?"

She'd have looked at him incredulously if she could have, but Hiccup was slow to soften inside her and she was still pinned to the wall.

"Well, I find it really hot watching you draw and paint. And you give me these _looks_ sometimes, biting your lip or doing this sexy little smile. I know you don't really believe it, but you drive me crazy."

Valka felt him pull out, clenching at the loss and already spoilt by the stamina of a young man, she knew it wouldn't be long before he was ready to go again. He fumbled to dispose of the used condom, but then he was pulling Valka to the sofa, encouraging her to straddle his lap as hands roamed under her skirt, grabbing rough handfuls of her ass and making her shiver pleasantly. Hiccup used eye contact like a weapon, staring right through Valka as she moaned and pressed against him harder and his emerald gaze only made her hotter.

It didn't help that every time she spent the night with him, Valka found herself opening up - emotionally as well as physically. He hadn't pushed her to talk more about her son after the admission that she _had_ one, but it clearly hadn't put him off and Valka had gone through other things with him, like her marriage and subsequent divorce, or her rocky relationship with her parents. And terribly, she was growing attached to this virile young man with a crooked smile and talented hands.

But his class only ran for another six weeks. She could simply leave him behind then, part of a little post-divorce madness and move on. He wouldn't be _hurt,_ surely? Their relationship was entirely sexual. So at most, Hiccup would just be disappointed the regular romps ceased?

Further thoughts began to fade as Hiccup kissed her neck, the occasional sharp nip making her jump in his arms and she felt him smirk against her skin, still squeezing and kneading at her backside. Still wet from earlier, Valka felt more arousal drip down her thigh, cheeks burning but if he noticed Hiccup certainly wasn't put off by it. He bit down harder on her collarbone, threatening to mark her and Valka flushed with the prospect of trying to explain that at work.

"Hey" Hiccup nudged her jaw, kissed a spot below her ear that made her knees weak "you ok?"

"Hmm?"

"You tensed up. What's wrong?"

Had she? Hiccup looked concerned, frown marring handsome features.

"Oh. I was contemplating the absurdity of explaining having a lovebite as a woman over forty."

Hiccup's head fell forward, shoulders under her hands shaking with laughter.

"I don't think they really have an upper age limit, but if it bothers you then just say so and I'll be more careful."

"I just..." Valka hesitated; would he take it as rejection? "I don't want anything too visible."

"You mean, over your clothes or just in general?"

"Over clothes."

He'd left marks on her the first time, little bruises on her thighs where he'd bitten and gripped her and she'd thrilled in every one. Those were far less concerning to her than a solid _hickey_ on her neck that her work colleagues might see.

"Got it."

And Valka felt certain she'd already have marks from tonight, the bite in her shoulder still smarting a little. Hiccup tumbled them, pressing her to the sofa, nuzzling her neck witth a soft sigh as she squirmed.

"So" one hand braced his weight, the other coming up to run a finger down her neck "no marks here, right?"

Hypersensitive to his touch, Valka tingled from even that and nodded. Hiccup continued, following his finger with his mouth and she _knew_ he was grinning as she moaned in response. He lingered there a while, seeming to push 'no marks' to the limit as teeth skated over her skin, every threat of a mark thrilling her further until she could feel the fabric of his jeans was damp with her. Hiccup definitely noticed that, breath hot on her ear as he told her he loved how wet she was for him, how turned on she got. Valka hadn't known such lewd compliments before him, and they made her stomach do funny little quivers that were not at all unpleasant.

His erection pushed against her, tempting Valka to throw caution to the wind and dispense with condoms there and then. Arousal clouded her mind, demanding to feel Hiccup completely but she hushed the ridiculous thoughts; she wasn't on any birth control - what would she need it for? - and while he knew she was divorced and could probably _tell_ she'd been effectively celibate for it before him, she had no idea of Hiccup's sexual history.

Hiccup didn't try to push the issue, though she heard him pant as he felt her wet heat when his cock slid against her clit, his hungry little sounds making her thrum with need and the loss of his weight while he sheathed himself was enough to almost make her protest. Then he was moving, slipping inside her again in their still-dressed tangle on her sofa. Valka found herself complying when Hiccup begged her to unbutton her shirt, no longer wearing the multiple layers beneath that she'd done the first time she went back to him, as though they'd stop him getting under her skin.

His pace wasn't as harsh as it had been against the wall, but Valka still felt him hit her deep, swift strokes never letting her fully adjust before he was moving again, panting against her chest before his mouth found her nipple through her bra. Her fingers clutched at his hair, all but clawing his back through his t-shirt, her own back arching up into the ardent attentions of his lips tugging at the sensitive little bud.

"What about here?"

Hiccup's lips brushed the swell of her breast, her brain barely comprehending what he meant for a moment before remembering their talk of him leaving marks on her. His eyes dark on hers, hips still moving in that dizzyingly perfect way, Valka could only nod, gasping when he bit down and sucked, leaving her squirming as the aching pleasure rolled through her until he let go, looking quite proud of the lovebite and smirking up at her from level with her breast.

Then he was sliding free of her, much to Valka's displeasure, gripping her by the waist and turning her over. Valka gripped the arm of her sofa, feeling Hiccup slip back into her with embarrassing ease, so wet and wanting she was. His weight bore down on her as he leant against her and Valka revelled in it, felt his hand come around to squeeze her breast, pinching her fabric-covered nipple, his smirk tangible against the back of her neck when she spasmed, teetering close to the edge again already. Hiccup was little better, his pace harder, more frantic and matching the little panting sounds he made, urging them both toward the torrid heat that beckoned to her, that overwhelmed her when Hiccup's fingers found her clit again. It was unfair how easily he'd learned to play her body, and Valka buckled under his talented touch.

Even when he was done, Valka felt him grip her hips and pull her back with him, leaving her back to his chest and a last deep push of his cock before he pulled out, arms looped around her waist loosely.

"Gods Valka, you're incredible."

His voice was soft, tender compared to the rough way he'd fucked her. _Twice_. They still hadn't gotten to removing more than her underwear, though now her shirt hung open and both of them were damp with sweat. Amongst other things, Valka definitely _didn't_ think.

After detouring to her kitchen for water, Valka let the young man take her to bed, let him peel away her clothes and map her body with biting kisses, squirming and moaning when he settled between her thighs again to draw all manner of wanton sounds from her with his tongue. Seeing how she responded to before, Hiccup bit at her thighs with impunity, her muscles clenching around his fingers in response before his tongue tasted the fresh surge of arousal, her body utterly _weak_ for his rough, feverish mood, for the urgency and desire evident in his gaze, his touch.

Still certain he was exaggerating, Valka was less shy about going down on him than she had been before, and his growling, bucking, twisting responses aroused her more than they had any right to, the feel of him twitching in her hand and throbbing in her mouth indecently erotic. His white-knuckled grip on her sheets didn't loosen, not until Valka felt him begin to swell between her lips.

"Oh f-fuck!"

The sounds he made were lovely, in a primal sort of way. Heat of the moment, a direct response to Valka's ministrations before he was reaching for her again, holding her bare skin against his own.

Her own stamina seemed to have increased to try and match his, the hour late by the time they slumped, spent against her ruined bed, Hiccup no longer afraid to cuddle her before sleep even though both were sweaty, sticky and it couldn't have been comfortable for him. It might not have been for her, if Valka wasn't so desperate to be held though she'd never admit it. Dragging the duvet over them, Hiccup squeezed her a little tighter, face seeming to be buried in her hair as he drifted off.

Was she really prepared to give this up in only a few more weeks?

-HTTYD-

 **I did say just the feels. But it's going somewhere. Eventually.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Last time this will just be a smut heavy chapter, honest.**

-HTTYD-

Lips trailed across her back, hand sliding over her belly to pull Valka tighter to him. She already ached, but when Valka felt him hardening against her ass, she pulsed with want, knew she'd take the soreness after to have him again. His fingers slid up, cupping and squeezing her breast, tugging at her nipple.

He'd been rough earlier, the bite-bruise on her hip-bone a testament to that, but Hiccup had slowed down, mellow and soft as he mapped her body now. Valka knew why, the same thoughts running through her own mind as he dragged his tongue down her spine, stilling at the base before pulling her over onto her back, squirming between her thighs and pulling her legs up over his shoulders.

"Ohhhh" Valka rolled her hips up into his tongue, chasing that tempting pleasure "so good..."

Over the last few months, Hiccup's steady patience had drawn Valka out of her shell in bed. Gone was shy and quiet, instead wanton and vocal under his hands, his mouth and he visibly thrilled in it. What did she have to be shy about? Hiccup kept coming back, kissing her bare body, telling her she was gorgeous and beautiful. She _felt_ his response to her, in the hardness pressed against her and the heat that blistered between their bodies when he was inside her. He grunted and gasped against her ear about how he loved hearing her, twitched in her hand whenever Valka moaned if they were using their hands on each other.

But tonight? Tonight had been the final week of Hiccup's art class. They'd gone for a drink with some of the class afterward, and Hiccup had leant against her at the bar of the pub with barely any decorum, and murmured that he couldn't wait to have her. It was clear in his touch tonight that he feared the exact nature of the encounter; that it was the last time. But they didn't say it. Just reached for each other again and again, leaving marks on the others skin as though desperate to show that it had happened, to know they carried the encounter with them when they parted for the last time.

Her body pitched as Hiccup's tongue slid over her clit, messy hair and dark eyes between her thighs making her hotter as he urged her toward another climax, demanding every twist and spasm of her body with the same ardent attention that he had that first night. _More,_ even, now he'd learned her, knew what made Valka shake and shout and sob. She'd forgotten what it was to be truly lost in anothers body, until Hiccup was pumping between her spread legs, until she was clutching so tight at him she thought she might never let go.

"You're so fucking hot when you come" Hiccup's cheek rested against her thigh, watching her shudder "I could watch it a hundred times and never get bored."

Valka was too hot, her skin felt too tight on her body but the fire inside her would not be quelled, not until she reached for Hiccup, pushing him on his back and rolling latex over his cock. He gasped and bucked as Valka straddled him, feeling the faint stretch and easy slide of his firm cock into her slick softness. Hiccup drew her closer, one hand on her lower back while the other settled where they joined, fingers stroking at her almost-too-sensitive clit, ensuring every thrust and rock had her choking on sounds of pure, agonising pleasure.

His skin was damp with sweat but she was no better, tasting the bitterness when her mouth pressed to his shoulder, muffling her cries as his hips snapped up into her over and over and _over_ again... the lewd sound of skin on skin was drowned out by his harsh breathing so close to her ear, the winding tightness inside her pulling at sore muscles, but Valka didn't care by the time Hiccup pulled his hand away, sucking his fingers before sliding them around and applying the merest pressure on tight muscle. He'd never done it before, and Valka hadn't known herself so sensitive, but as the muscle gave and his finger slipped into her ass, she came violently in shock.

Hiccup rutted against her a little longer, eventually slumping back against her pillows to suck in heavy breaths, sliding his finger free and squeezing her backside playfully as Valka trembled atop him, marvelling yet again that this young man uncovered so many secrets of her body and her mind without really _trying._

"Can you move?"

Valka shook her head, heard him chuckle lightly before turning them so she'd land on the bed, hands on her hips ensuring she didn't land heavily. Then he was gone, returning with a damp cloth and towel, cleaning tender skin gently before climbing onto the bed again and gathering her into a cuddle, burying his face in her hair with a contented sigh. She no longer felt compelled to cover up immediately after they were done, instead settling into the skin-to-skin contact, enjoying Hiccup's warmth and gentle touches.

"I'm thirsty. Can I get you anything?"

"No no, I'll get up."

It was a little easier said than done, Valka's legs feeling like jelly and her gait a little coltish as she stepped at first. But she managed to get up, pulling a dressing gown on - in bed was one thing, but she wasn't roaming her house in the nude. Hiccup tugged his shorts back on, joking that he didn't want to open the fridge with nothing covering 'the important parts' with a rogueish grin.

Valka watched Hiccup sip at his drink, light highlighting her bite marks, the tracks of her nails on his skin. He tapped his fingers against the side of the mug, hands always on the go, like he couldn't wait to be creating or experiencing something again. They drank in relative silence, both going to brush their teeth individually before crawling into Valka's messy bed again, his fingers sliding down her back as Valka let him draw her into their now-standard snuggling.

"Did you make the call yet?"

His voice was soft, unobtrusive but the question so heavy it almost knocked the wind from her. Hiccup seemed to know he'd never be able to ask her again, and that Valka didn't really discuss it with anyone else.

"Not yet. Am I doing the right thing?"

Hiccup shrugged, turned his head to press a kiss to her hair. The intimacy made her shiver inwardly.

"What do you want, my blessing? Reassurance? I don't know if it can be called the _right_ thing, because I don't know this guy. I don't know how he feels about being given up for adoption, or how he feels about his adoptive parents."

Oddly enough, that didn't make Valka feel better.

"So what should I do?"

"Call the agency. They contact his family anyway, so he has the chance to say no. If he does, I guess you accept that and try to move on with your life. If he says yes, then you can find out. But don't spend forever regretting and wondering what if, it'll drive you mad."

Valka shifted, resting her arm on his chest and her head against her arm.

"What would _you_ do? If someone called as your birth mother?"

Hiccup frowned in thought, fingers idling through Valka's hair.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm not adopted, so it's hard to know how I'd feel about _being_ adopted. But my parents are wonderful people, and I've had a great life so far. I would probably be surprised, I guess. But I'm happy. I'd want her to see that. To know she didn't make a terrible choice."

He was so **young,** but his insight was truly incredible and Valka (admitted only to herself) valued their late-night heart-to-hearts quite probably as much as she had their primal trysts. It was more than the sex; he'd shown her how to feel liberated and alive again, brushed away the cobwebs in her mind and taught Valka she could do things just for the sake of _enjoyment_ again. Both with his art class and with his body.

Mint-flavoured lips closed over her own, Hiccup's hand cradling her jaw as he kissed her so sweetly she felt it to her bones.

"Sleep now."

Hiccup held her close, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear as they settled to sleep. He still smelled like sex, musk and sweat but there was a lingering hint of paint on him from earlier that Valka thought she might always associate with him now. She almost didn't want to sleep, knowing morning would bring reality and separation but his slowing breaths lulled her to slumber.

He was awake when she stirred, watching her through sleepy eyes. Valka ached to stay there with him, but knew it wasn't wise; they may well never see each other again and a clean break was the sane option. He seemed to know, vanishing from her bed before she was even fully awake. Hiccup was showered and fresh-breathed within five minutes, entered her room in just his jeans to ask if she wanted a drink waiting downstairs.

There was a drink waiting, but it was cold by the time Valka got to it. Hiccup pulled her dressing gown from her otherwise naked body, wrapped around her back with his clothed erection pushing against her bare ass, fingers busy between her thighs as she gripped the side in front of her. His free hand came up to play with her breast, the soft quiet touches no less demanding of her than his rougher ones had been, stroking and tweaking and grinding against her until Valka was a shuddering mess of nerves, pushing against his hand as she came with a near-silent cry.

She turned on the spot, hands at his jeans-fastening to free him. Hiccup faltered only for a few seconds before letting Valka pull him in, guiding his erection until his naked cock spread her open. He hoisted her up, bracing her hands against the kitchen counter behind her as Hiccup hooked her legs around his waist, his hands splayed against her lower back to hold her there.

There was a dull pain, her body protesting the exertion of the night before but it was too good to _stop,_ too hot to care. Hiccup hooked one knee up over his elbow, letting him hit Valka deeper with each thrust and keeping his eyes on her face the entire time. She tried to meet his gaze, but her eyes kept closing with each dart of pleasure rolling through her belly, certain he'd drop her when his hands slipped but Hiccup only gripped her tighter, cursing under his breath about how hot and tight she felt. Something about the unrestricted _trust,_ the concession of losing the protective barrier between them was enough to make Valka convulse and she could have sworn she felt every pulsing, every ridge and vein of his cock when he came flush to her.

"Can I come in you? Fuck I'm so close, you feel too good..."

" _Please._ "

Valka didn't care how desperate she sounded, only that she craved that feeling of him letting go within her. Hiccup cursed, buried himself as deep as he could while his hips twitched. She felt him, warm and wet and thick as he swelled and spilled into her. Swearing more colourfully, Hiccup kept going, his climax slicking the slide further as he panted into her neck.

"Touch yourself."

She feared falling but complied regardless, Hiccup bearing almost all her weight as her fingers curled over her clit until she spasmed around his softening cock. They clutched each other through the aftershocks, Valka too blissed out to even care as she felt his come drip out of her. She'd have to clean the floor.

"Think you can stand if I put you down?"

Valka nodded, managing to not simply crumple when her feet touched the floor. Hiccup handed her the discarded dressing gown, fluid sticky on her thighs as she sat delicately on her stool, reaching for now-cold tea. Hiccup downed his cooled coffee in one go before he even fixed his bottoms, leaning lazily against the side with a satisfied grin.

"That was... an excellent way to start the day. But I guess I better go."

She didn't want him to. Valka wanted him to stay, to continue infusing her with his energy and quiet confidence. To keep wringing those mind-melting orgasms from her body and stealing kisses from her gasping mouth.

But he had to. They couldn't go on as they had indefinitely, and there was nothing but sex and her hormone-induced confessions between them.

"Yes. I suppose you had."

Hiccup disappeared, returning fully dressed, his little overnight bag next to his feet as he sat down to put his boots back on. Straightening up, Hiccup didn't say what she saw lingering in his gaze. He didn't ask if he'd see her again.

Maybe he didn't want to hear her say no.

So instead, he pulled her close and kissed her soundly, smelling of leather and coffee.

"Catch you later Valka."

She walked him to the door, and the only comment he made that had such a finality to it was right before he stepped out through the front door. Turning back to her, he had a sad sort of smile on his face.

"I hope you find your son."

-HTTYD-

 **Oh. I wonder what could possibly go wrong if she does that...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Not forgotten! I just suck at keeping on top of things...**

-HTTYD-

"You did _what?_ "

"Good girl! How was he?"

Valka definitely, _definitely_ regretted confiding in her friends about a brief tryst with a younger man. She insistently described it as such, refusing to let herself think about if there was more to it than that. If she pretended long enough, she might even believe it.

"Well, I only really have one person for comparison, but he was... good."

'Good' didn't really cover it, but Valka wasn't sure her dignity would cope if she confessed all the things Hiccup had done to her, or the way she behaved when he did, his steady encouragement turning her into some wanton, hungry animal with no shame.

And she _missed_ it. The sex. Definitely not him.

"No doubt. Was he buff?"

"No, he was... thin, wiry. But strong."

Strong enough to hold her up that last time, unprotected and undeniably their hottest sexual encounter. Or perhaps it was the most emotional. Either way, it stuck in her head a lot.

Hiccup's encouragement stayed with her though, and Valka had stopped shying away from spending time with her friends. Her friends _her own age._ Most of them had children, husbands - or in one case, a wife - and Valka worried she'd have nothing to talk to them about, but after Hiccup convinced her on stopping with trying to reclaim the past, Valka went and discovered they had lots more to talk about.

Although the topic of her brief spell as a cougar was probably not her favourite.

Hiding her face in her drink, Valka pushed away memories of his hands on her hips, his mouth on her neck, his hair brushing against her thighs...

Gods, he had been _good._

"Come on, you gotta give us more than this. How did you meet him?"

"He ran that art class I went to."

"Oh, so he wasn't fresh out of school?"

"No! I said younger, not _illegal!_ Gods, Helga, you make it sound like I was trawling the playgrounds."

"Well, some might still call it robbing the cradle, but I wholeheartedly support you getting laid. _Someone_ should be."

Valka raised an eyebrow at Helga, who sighed and downed some more wine.

"There's nothing stopping you from seducing your husband you know?"

"I'm not really a seductive person."

"If I can somehow attract a twenty-something young man by being covered in paint, _you_ can go home and attract your own spouse. Get a babysitter, do a date night."

"I'm too old for that!"

"You're old, not dead."

Helga halted in lifting her wine glass to her mouth, pondering.

"A valid point. I will consider this. _After_ I finish getting drunk."

Rolling her eyes, Valka popped a fresh bottle - everyone was putting it away tonight - and agreed on the getting drunk. It was probably a good thing she had opted never to take Hiccup's phone number, since it meant no matter how drunk she got, she could not drunk dial him.

"So... _why_ are you no longer seeing this guy? If he's that good I'd keep him."

"Lindi!"

"What? It's a fair question!"

"Because... it was a fling, a short phase in my life I will not be repeating."

Valka still intended on finding her son. She'd called the adoption agency four times now... and hung up before the phone rang more than once. Perhaps an e-mail would be easier? It was nerve-wracking, contemplating effectively invading the mans life. And if she did, Valka was _not_ going to be explaining Hiccup to them. How on earth would she have explained a sexual partner the same age as him? It could have been humiliating, made her look like some mad old woman desperate for a connection to somebody that age. Hiccup had been an unintentional and interesting encounter, but Valka wasn't going to start dating men she was literally old enough to be the mother of.

Though she wouldn't forget the favour he'd done her in basically waking her up again. Especially her love for art; Valka had changed a whole wall in her new home to somewhere for her to draw and paint and _create,_ a wonderful mess covered in colour.

"Well, sounds like your loss. And his, if he kept... how long did this 'fling' go on Val?"

"That class ran for like, three months. Was it the whole time?"

Certain her cheeks were redder than her wine now, Valka tried not to look too reminiscent of those weeks.

"Nine of the twelve weeks."

"Nine... oh, yes, the week off."

"Yes. When I told him that, he called me daft for thinking he'd care and invited me over for coffee anyway. I didn't go."

There was silence, shared looks between the women.

"So what you're saying is this guy was interested in dating you, clearly, but you just went for the wild sex and have now effectively dumped him?"

Covering her face with her hands, Valka groaned.

"It wasn't... you make me sound like some predator!"

"Not at all. Just wondering why you didn't give him a chance if he was so wonderful and all."

What was she supposed to say? That she _had_ thought about it, a lot? Valka knew she felt more for him than simple lust, that there was a flutter in her belly to match the tingles on her skin whenever she was with him. He'd been kind and mature and thoughtful, creative and sensitive and just _nice_ to be around, even when they weren't having sex.

Gods, she was ridiculous. He was supposed to be a one off. But Valka apparently couldn't just leave it at that. She had to, though.

"Because... I want to find my son. And I don't want to explain to him I'm dating somebody _his age_ if I do."

Valka had confided the truth in them years ago, and asked never to speak of it again. There was a ripple of shock through the room, dulled somewhat by excessive wine intake.

"You are?"

"Yes. Of course, he might not even want to talk to me, but... I have to try, don't I?"

Most of them mothers themselves - to children they had been able to _raise_ \- all were encouraging of Valka. After another glass of wine, Valka did ask how they'd feel if they had adopted a child, and the birth mother came looking.

"He's a grown man. If they chose to adopt, then they chose to accept that there was always a chance he might go looking for you anyway."

"What if they didn't tell him?"

Valka looked up, blinking.

"I... I hadn't even thought of that. I gave him up as a babe, so it's... I suppose its possible he wouldn't even remember."

"How though? I guess if the parents asked everyone to never bring it up, but... you feel like after twenty odd years, he'd find out?"

"I suppose. I don't want to turn his life over."

"You won't. He's an adult. The worst that happens is, well, he doesn't want to talk to you. So long as you accept his choices and let your kid set the pace here if he _does_ want to see you, I don't think you're doing anything wrong."

Well, she couldn't get much better advice than from actual mothers, Valka mused as she sipped her wine. She should slow down on the drinking. Going to Hiccup's house and making a fool of herself seemed increasingly appealing.

By the time she poured friends into taxis or husbands cars to go home, Valka was a little more sober and taking in the mess that largely comprised of empty wine glasses, chocolate wrappers and - from Dora, the quiet one with a hidden outrageous humour - a boxed up, brand new sex toy that said "Congratulations On Your Divorce!" on a post-it note. Valka would be shoving _that_ in a drawer somewhere to never think about again.

She crawled into bed to sleep off the alcohol, trying not to think too much of all the times Hiccup had been in her bed. On top of her, beneath her, behind her... her body tingled, phantom hands on her back, her hips, the ghost of lips on her neck. Gods, Valka had let him get too deep under her skin. She shoved away the thoughts, letting the wine catch up and knock her out. Valka woke with a pounding headache and a low ache between her thighs, the lingering arousal of the night before and thinking of Hiccup returned to haunt her alongside the hangover.

Water, fruit tea and a reluctant tidying session later, Valka dropped down on her sofa and sighed. The adoption agency opened in an hour or so. She could shower and panic for a while, then try to call and actually _stay_ on the phone that time. After the advice and support from her girlfriends the night before, it certainly had her feeling a _little_ less terrified about it all. Mothers were some of the best advice she could get on children, after all. And Hiccup had given her an idea of how an adult man _might_ feel about the situation. Rising slowly, she soaked in the shower until her brain woke up a little more, intentionally drawing out drying her hair and getting re-dressed to put off calling the agency.

Even that would only be step one. After that the agency would contact her son - if they _could,_ if they had the right information. And if he wanted nothing to do with her, that would be all Valka heard back. But she had to _try._

Her fingers shook as she dialled, clutching her knee for purchase with her free hand as it rang. The man who answered the phone wasn't unkind, but he obviously knew how to not come across too emotional, to take her details and agree to pass them along, if the adoptee was interested. The adoption was closed; Valka didn't know who adopted him, where, not even what his name was after they took him away. Hands shaking slightly still as she hung up, Valka sank back into the cushions and wondered if it was a good or bad thing she was off work that day. After a bracing breakfast she hoped would settle her stomach, Valka changed into her decorating clothes and grabbed her art supplies.

She'd taken that step, and now her mind wanted to create to mark the occasion. Even if nothing came of it, Valka would know she tried.

* * *

Art class was just a little less fun without Valka, Hiccup lamented. There was a few women - and one guy - in his class who looked him over now and then, but nobody drew him in like she did, nobody left him hypnotised by their concentration-face. Nobody threw him those ridiculously tempting little smiles all through class that made Hiccup feel a twitch below the belt.

But still, art was fun all by itself, and Hiccup still got to watch people come out of their shell and create. It was _so_ much fun! The manager of the community centre was a friend of his fathers, and Hiccup had offered to run the class if enough interest was shown. So far, there was plenty. Even talk of running another on a different night if Hiccup had the time.

He missed Valka's energy though. Her unique talent. Hiccup hoped she was still making stuff, still creating.

"Looking good. I like those colours."

"Thanks!"

Smiling, Hiccup continued heading around to check peoples work, felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and saw a text from his mother, asking if he was available tomorrow evening. Hiccup replied back in the affirmative, wondering if there was a reason or if his mother just missed him. He missed her too, so agreeing to dinner was a welcome surprise plan.

He wouldn'y deny it was a little less exciting to head home when it wouldn't end with Valka pressed against him, panting and moaning and beautifully warm, yielding under his hands, As Hiccup was finishing up before he cashed out, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Can I help you miss?"

"Hofferson. Astrid Hofferson."

"Well, Miss Hofferson, can I help you?"

"I'm just gonna come right out and ask... are you seeing anyone?"

Hiccup blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. Astrid was... well, she was _gorgeous,_ really. Slim and toned, big blue eyes and long blonde hair, a playful smile and rosy cheeks. And looked about his own age, to boot.

But she wasn't _Valka._

Not that he was seeing Valka. She'd let him go that morning, and Hiccup wasn't going to throw a tantrum. He'd known going in she would probably never let it go on long term, and they had had a fun couple of months together. And there was Astrid, quite clearly interested and he had no cause to hold out hope for a woman twice his age who'd only been looking for a little rebellious freedom and good sex.

"No, why?"

"I didn't want to be a home wrecker. Want to go out sometime?"

"Wow, you don't waste time do you?"

Astrid smiled. Her smile was pretty.

"Nope. Interested or not?"

Hiccup nodded.

"Sure. Time and place?"

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Wow. She _really_ didn't waste time. Hiccup had to shake his head.

"Nope, sorry, dinner with my mom. And thats not a cop-out, promise. Day after?"

"I can do that."

He left ten minutes later, cashed up and with a date planned. Slightly stunned, Hiccup headed home, let Toothless out and then flopped on his bed with a furry companion, stroking him idly before curling up to sleep, Toothless snoring nearby. Then it was dog walk, work then another dog walk in the direction of his mothers house, the woman greeting he and his canine friend warmly as she shooed them in.

"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?"

"Can't a mother invite her son over for dinner without an ulterior motive?"

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, sure, but if she _had_ she woulda just said that. You're acting shady, so I was right. So what's up?"

He watched her shuffle awkwardly, choosing her words and Hiccup got the feeling she was about to drop something serious on him.

"I want you to know we only didn't tell you because we didn't ever want you to doubt that we loved you" well, now Hiccup was _worried_ "and it never changed a thing for me or your father. But, well, the thing is... you're adopted."

-HTTYD-

 **Uh-ohhhhh spaghetti-os.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I swear I don't forget about stories, I just have a poor sense of time and think "Oh it hasn't been that long" when really its been like a month.**

 **Also, if I'm clearly working on a story marked as 'complete', it just means that the plan to keep it a one shot or two shot or whatever... didn't go to plan. This story has some chapters to go yet.**

-HTTYD-

He was _adopted._ Hiccup had never had any clue.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Hiccup looked up, realising he'd spaced out somewhat and it was awfully unfair on the woman sat opposite him.

"Sorry, I... is it too early for revelations?"

Astrid frowned, poking at her potato with her fork.

"Well, that depends what kind of revelation. Criminal record? Kids? Marriage?"

Hiccup shook his head, straightening up in his seat and sipping from his drink. Astrid was so very pretty, he could see; she wasn't overdressed or caked in makeup, but her rosy cheeks and cute smile needed no help and her hair was sat loosely over her shoulder in a braid.

"I... remember I said I had dinner with my mom last night?"

Astrid nodded.

"Yeah... was that a lie?"

"No, no. I uh... she told me I was adopted. I never... I never even knew."

Astrid blinked, staring for what felt like a terribly long time but Hiccup knew probably only lasted a minute.

"Wow. So I guess that was a surprise."

"You could say that. So I guess I'm still processing, but I didn't want to cancel on you."

"That's... fair. I guess I can give you a pass on a less than stellar first date for that."

"How kind."

Astrid winked.

"Hey, that means you get a second chance. Well, assuming you want one."

He nodded, offered her a smile.

"If I have not managed to put you off entirely from both art class and dating, then I would absolutely appreciate a chance to be less terrible company."

"Takes more than a blank stare to put me off Haddock. Consider this the tutorial level."

Hiccup laughed.

"I always skip those normally. Can I die in this one?"

Astrid grinned.

"Only if you really mess up. Or choke on dessert."

Despite his wandering mind, Astrid was surprisingly easy, pleasant company, and Hiccup wholly intended to at least give the second attempt his full attention. Before he made any decision on whether he was still too gone on Valka to be pursuing anything. It had been brief with her, but intense. Still, Astrid didn't seem to scare easy; he liked that about her.

"So... how come your mom dropped the adoption thing on you now?"

"Oh. Uh. Someone from my biological family wants to get in touch. It's up to me if I... but yeah, guess I'm still reeling a bit. I always thought I had my moms hair, my dads eyes. But thats not possible now."

Astrid hummed as she chewed on some sausage, dislodging some from her teeth with her tongue and still maintaining a thoughtful expression.

"So what? I look nothing like my parents really, but I have my moms love for kickboxing and my dads love for chicken wings."

"Should I be worried?"

Astrid tipped her head a little, grinning.

"No, they don't serve chicken wings here."

Hiccup found himself laughing; she didn't let tension sit.

"I meant kickboxing, but fair point."

"Are you planning on doing something I'd need to kick you for?" he shook his head immediately "then we're good. But seriously, don't stress about them not being your biological parents. They loved you so much you never even suspected, and thats pretty cool. Focus on who taught you to ride a bike or who read you stories at night. Those are your parents, adoption or not."

"You make a lot of sense."

Astrid beamed.

"It's a skill. Are you gonna eat that?"

Hiccup shook his head, pushed his half-finished steak over. Astrid scooped it onto her plate, putting it away in remarkable time.

"Dessert?"

"Aren't you full?"

"Never. It takes all my self control not to eat everything in my kitchen every single day. Why do you think I work out so much?"

Having never been one with a massive appetite - and it showed in his slim frame - Hiccup could not understand Astrid's perspective on the matter, but he stayed for dessert and got through most of his ice cream sundae before his stomach protested.

"Well, this was... it wasn't terrible. I'll be holding you to that second try though. I figure you need time to deal with family stuff, so... I'll talk to you at art class next week?"

Hiccup nodded, and Astrid kissed his cheek before she jogged over to her car, flashing him a smile before she drove off. He climbed into his own car, heading home to be pestered by Toothless for all the details of where he'd been and also for treats. Appeasing the hungry beast, Hiccup dropped heavily onto his sofa and sighed, though Toothless climbing up to nuzzle him happily did put a smile on the mans face.

Yes, Astrid had been great. Funny and spunky and gorgeous...

but she wasn't _Valka._

He wasn't exclusively attracted to older women, but Hiccup also knew he found maturity a massive turn on and Valka was beautiful. But she'd ended their brief trysts without having to actually say it, and Hiccup wasn't going to force himself into her life when she didn't want him there.

No. He'd give Astrid a chance next week. He'd stop pining for a woman who'd only been looking for a brief liason to shrug away old chains of marriage and the previous generations shame toward sex. Hiccup could take comfort in knowing he'd helped there somewhat, having been able to watch her confidence bloom in bed and also being a very willing participant in Valka refining certain... techniques.

Whoever she ended up with would be a lucky man indeed. And not just in bed.

Groaning into his hands, Hiccup scrubbed across his face and cuddled Toothless before sitting up, acknowledging he ought to change out of his date clothes and get ready for bed before work the next day. Toothless stalked him, wanting to be let out and then given lots of attention before he flopped across Hiccup's bed like he didn't have two plush doggy beds just waiting for him.

Work passed in something of a blur, but Hiccup remembered to call his mother when he got home and let her, then his father in a later call, know he didn't care about the being adopted thing. Astrid had been right; they were definitely still his parents.

"Are you going to contact them?"

"I don't know yet. Probably. Is that alright with you mom?"

"Of course love."

Smiling to himself later, Hiccup had not forgotten the eerie timing. If he'd heard about the adoption thing a couple of weeks earlier, he'd have been _really_ worried. That would have been too close for comfort to him convincing Valka to contact _her_ son. Her son his age. But that had been long ago enough that Hiccup felt sure she would have already done it, and so he would have heard from the agency sooner.

Just a strange, strange coincidence.

Hiccup mused back and forth for a few days on whether or not to contact his biological relative - he was pretty sure it was his birth mother - and in the end, his own words came back to haunt him, murmured to Valka in her bed when she asked how he would respond in the exact situation he now found himself in.

He was happy. His life was good. His parents were wonderful people. It was the ultimate peace of mind he could give to the woman who gave him up, who might have wondered for over twenty years how he'd turned out and if he was taken care of.

Tapping out a text asking his mother if she was free, Hiccup and Toothless headed over to her on a nice walk before being greeted with warm hugs. There was no tension, no animosity. This was still one hundred percent _absolutely_ his mother.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Can't a son visit his mother?"

"Of course, but I thought... never mind."

Hiccup patted her shoulder, drew her into a hug and smiled at the familiar scent of her that just said _mom._

"Well, alright. I do want to see you, but I do also want that number the adoption agency gave you for, you know."

"Oh, you've decided to contact her."

He nodded; his parents didn't know about Valka - he didn't want to get their hopes up, nor explain that he was sleeping with a woman only two years younger than his mom - so Hiccup couldn't give the exact reasoning behind his choice.

"Yeah. Are you alright with that?"

"Absolutely son. I suppose after you turned eighteen and she didn't... I hoped you would never have to find out."

"Hey" Hiccup hugged her again "this doesn't change anything for me. I just thought that maybe I could give her some peace of mind, you know? If nothing else, I can let this woman know when she gave me up, I went somewhere good and grew up happy and loved."

"You're such a good boy, with a good heart."

"I was raised right."

Hiccup smiled, lifting his drink from the side while his mother searched for the name and number she'd written down. His heart thudded a little harder as she approached with the piece of paper; it was becoming real, the chance he might talk with his birth mother. He hadn't even known that was a different person to his mom until a few days ago.

"Here."

Hiccup took it, and he regretted not putting his drink down when it slipped from his hand, glass thumping against the carpet to spill its contents across the floor.

He knew the name. He knew the number.

 _Valka._

-HTTYD-

 **I admit this chapter was slightly rushed. Or rather, I acknowledge this chapter was short. I guess I thought I'd have more to put in, but then the ending I planned happened and I was like 'huh this is not what I expected' at my word count. So yeah. Kinda short.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Spectrer - yes, it is, but if people didn't do it knowingly (i.e when people get married then find out they're half siblings which has happened in real life a few times) then they aren't prosecuted for anything that happened _before_ the truth comes out. If they were to _continue,_ they could then be charged with incest.  
**

-HTTYD-

"Son? Everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hiccup looked up, agonisingly aware he couldn't tell his mother the truth. At least, not the _whole_ truth...

"I.. uh... this woman took my art class. I've met her."

"What, really?"

He nodded, dragging his mind from the brief, torrid affair they'd had. Gods, he had really...

"Yeah. I uh... ok. I should clean that up."

The spill from the floor was dealt with soon enough, all the while Hiccups mind turning over a thousand times a minute, flickers of Valka beneath him and of her quiet questions, the sharing of their lives in the moments where it had been far more than just sex.

Hel, Hiccup had come dangerously close to actually _falling_ for her. His own biological mother. Did that make him a sick freak, like he thought it should?

"So, did you get it from her?"

His head snapped up.

"Get what?"

 _Did she know? Somehow?_

"Art. You didn't get it from me or your father after all."

"Oh. Uh. I guess so, she was easily my top student. Very expressive. Good command of colours."

 _Excellent kisser._

Hiccup shook off the awful, awful thought, shoving the paper with Valka's name and number in his pocket and reaching to scratch his dog behind the ear.

"Are you going to contact her?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

What the fuck was he going to say to her? _Hey, I know we had mind-blowing sex for three months, but I just found out I'm your son._ Hardly ideal conversation. And Valka... she'd clearly carried some guilt for giving him up all those years ago. How would she feel knowing who he was after what they'd done?

"You were all for it when you got here."

"I know but" _I had sex with her_ "it's like... what if she feels guilty for not realising it was me or something?"

"Hiccup, son, if anything I imagine it would be a positive to her. She got to know you, see you, without that awkwardness of introductions first. Did you talk there?"

"A little."

That wasn't a lie. Most of their conversations had been at her place or his, between scalding kisses and hungry hands...

Hiccup felt a terrible thought settle in his gut somewhere - was the reason they'd had such chemistry some twisted acknowledgement on a primal level that they were blood? That sounded ridiculous, but there was no denying there was a spark with Valka he'd never felt before.

Oh gods, what was he going to do about _Astrid?_ Was accidentally having sex with your biological mother something people told the person they were seeing? What if she freaked out? Which, she had a right to, as Hiccup knew he would undoubtedly do at some point. But she might turn him in. Could Hiccup go to jail for _accidental_ incest? Oh fuck, he did not know how to deal with what was happening.

"Son?"

His mothers voice cut into his minds frantic circles, jogging Hiccup back to reality.

"Yeah?"

"You keep spacing out. Is something the matter? Are you upset we didn't tell you?"

"No mom, really. Just..." Hiccup scrambled for a valid excuse "kinda surreal that I met my biological mother _before_ I found out I was adopted, yanno?"

"I suppose so. What's she like?"

Hiccup swallowed down many comments he could make, but none to his mother without being locked up for being a pervert.

"Uh. She's smart, sweet, creative. A little shy. Definitely doesn't look old enough to be my mother..." he noticed his mom looking at him oddly, swallowed thickly "like I said, she was top of the class. Even this new group doesn't have anyone on her level."

"Well, sounds like you two ought to get on alright if you do contact her."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Would you mind if I went home now mom? I feel a little... overwhelmed."

"Of course. You want me to drive you?"

Hiccup considered it, but thought the walk might clear his head.

"No thanks, I'll walk. Save you dog hair in the car."

"Suit yourself. Love you Hiccup."

"Love you too mom."

Clipping Toothless' leash on, Hiccup headed home, the little bit of paper bearing Valka's name and number feeling like a brick, like something burning a hole in his pocket. Waiting. Taunting him with the terrible choice between leaving Valka in the dark and leaving her unburdened with the knowledge. If he told her he was her son, Valka would undoubtedly be devastated. But Hiccup had also seen that vulnerability, the fear and need to find and reconnect with her child, to know what she'd done had not hurt her son all those years ago. Now the choice was entirely his, and because it was such a monumentally enormous, fucked up situation, Hiccup could ask nobody for help.

Well, except maybe Toothless.

"What do you think I should do buddy?"

He quizzed the dog, who was currently laid next to him on the sofa, furry head resting on Hiccup's chest. Toothless' only response was a low whine and a shift to get more comfortable, followed by a large yawn.

"Thanks bud. Real helpful. Your breath is terrible, by the way."

Unsurprisingly, the dog did not seem to care. Hiccup made a mental note to take him to the groomers some time soon, where they would kindly clean his mouth - it was a regular thing that needed doing, since Toothless could not have the usual dental treats with his lack of teeth to chew them.

Hiccup back-and-forthed about it all week, knowing he was leaving Valka hanging but not certain he could bring himself to tell her. He only realised how long he'd been trying to figure it out when it was art class again, and he had Astrid to deal with. Not that Astrid was unpleasant to converse with, but it felt awful trying to work out what he should do and whether to talk to her about it, plus his need to cancel on her in advance.

"Hey. I uh..."

"Don't want to go out with me again?"

She didn't look too disappointed. Hiccup wondered what that meant.

"I do. But I... I'm still figuring this whole birth mother thing out. Any chance you mind waiting til next week? If you're sick of hanging around, that's fine too. I don't want you to feel like I-"

"Hiccup, relax. I will talk to you next week, but you have my number if you change your mind."

Astrid left him with a smile, and Hiccup waited until she was gone to slump against the wall with a loud sigh. She was awfully patient with him, so far, after his distraction at the first try and now his asking her to wait around while he got his shit together.

He made a snap decision, possibly a ridiculous one at that. After a hasty cash-out, Hiccup left and walked in the direction of Valka's house. It was a little late, but she'd had later nights every time he stayed over.

Which he shouldn't be thinking about.

Hiccup hesitated at the front door, contemplating going home before his hand raised itself, rapped at the wood. He heard movement inside, a light flickered on and when he glanced up, saw a curtain pulled aside but no Valka. Then there were footsteps down the stairs, the rattle of keys, the scrape of a lock.

Well, he'd struggle to go back now.

"Hiccup?"

* * *

Valka fretted, no matter how she tried to distract herself.

Work was a poor distraction, and art worked but only for so long. Valka did enjoy art though, and painting for the sake of painting did not lose its appeal, but it didn't stop her panicking about reaching out to her son either.

She'd not heard anything back. It had been... almost a week. Not really very long after over twenty years apart, but long enough Valka was growing concerned he wasn't interested and that she was holding out hope for nothing. Maybe he needed time to think? To decide? Valka knew most would have reached out sooner - when he turned eighteen, but she'd still been married then, and her dearest ex-husband had been adamantly against it.

Valka wished she'd not listened. Wished she had sought him out anyway. There were four years lost... well, if he decided to get in contact now. Otherwise nothing was lost, as he'd not have called then either.

Oh, she just wanted to _know._ Valka knew it would hurt, if he didn't want to talk to her, but it would be a point she could move on from. The limbo drove her mad, reflected in the manic swirls of colour almost too harsh to look at, splashed across the wall in thick, frantic strokes. She wanted closure. She wanted reassurance.

She wanted to talk to Hiccup.

Valka knew it ridiculous. He was still a man barely out of boyhood compared to her, and he was young and definitely not someone she could really make anything real with. But he'd been steady and comforting and made sense of the mess in her head, and Valka missed him. Missed their quiet conversation in the early hours. Missed him holding her as they slept, warm and _real._ Tactile comfort was in short supply in her life now.

Maybe she should get a cat. Or a dog. Hiccup had a dog. They might bump into each other on walks... _get a grip Valka_

A pet wasn't an awful idea though; Valka didn't like the quiet, empty home anymore. It had been a relief, freeing before, but now it just felt cold and lonely, lacking the energy of another living thing. Not that Viggo had given much energy in the final years of their marriage, as cold and empty as the hallways were now, barely seeming to do more than cohabit and maybe have sex once or twice a month, pretending they were normal, that it was just how marriage was.

But they'd given up in the end, and divorce - and Hiccup - had given Valka a new lease on life.

Yes, she'd definitely get a pet. She'd need to be careful about paint, but it was surely doable.

Dragging a brush along the wall, Valka admired the dusky purple colour she'd mixed, sprinkled it with stars and wiped a splash of paint from her face before stepping back to smile. Creating gave her such a buzz, she was sorry she'd ever given it up.

The knock at the door made her jump. Who on earth would call at this hour? Valka frowned, made her way to the window, twitched back the curtain. Was that... _Hiccup?_ The only possible reason Valka could think for him being there so late was having just come from his art class, but what on earth was so urgent it couldn't wait? What was the matter at all, really? They'd been silent since the last tryst, and she had planned to keep it that way.

But he was there, and she was curious.

Padding down the stairs, still in paint-covered clothes and bare feet, Valka grabbed her keys and unlocked the door.

"Hiccup?"

"Hi. Uh... can we talk?"

She invited him in, worried for the distress visible in his body language as he hovered in her hallway. He looked little like the man who'd calmly, confidently pushed her down onto the sofa and had her there and then only a few months before.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I got a call. Well. My mom did. Passed on to me. It was, well, how do I say this?"

Whatever he had to say, Valka wasn't sure she wanted to hear it.

"Say what?"

Hiccup drew in a deep breath, looking anywhere but at her.

"I'm your son."

-HTTYD-

 **Uh-ohhhh. Whatever will they do now?**


	8. Chapter 8

**I love how many people have been like "WE NEED THE NEXT BIT" and I agree. We do.**

-HTTYD-

Hiccup waited a minute, fully expecting her to begin screaming or possibly laugh in his face. Maybe beg him to tell her it was all a sick joke. He only wished he could... but Valka stood there, silent and stunned, finally stammering out one word.

"W-w- _what_?"

He pulled the paper from his pocket, her name and number scribbled across it.

"My mother gave me this. After the adoption agency contacted her looking for me. Well, _after_ she told me I was adopted."

The silence continued again, though Valka took the paper from his hand as though confirming it was her name, her number. He knew both of those things, so Hiccup supposed if he had wanted to play a cruel prank on her, it was _possible._ But... it was all true.

"You... but we... oh my gods..."

Yeah, Hiccup had been through that part already, but he let Valka sort through the whole thing for a minute first.

"Should I... I wasn't sure if I should tell you. But it felt unfair to leave you hanging, especially after _I_ encouraged you to reach out in the first place."

Valka blinked, hand crumpling the paper she held. Hiccup supposed he didn't need it anymore.

"I... need a drink."

Well, he couldn't blame her for that. Hiccup hovered, unsure if he was supposed to follow her or leave. Valka made a vague gesture that seemed to be 'follow', so he did that slowly, knowing she didn't like shoes in the house but it seemed too casual to take them off, as though he'd be lingering. At least her kitchen was tiled, so his shoes wouldn't dirty it. Not that _he_ hadn't-

 _No._ He couldn't think like that anymore.

"Drink?"

Hiccup accepted it, if only to have something to do with himself while Valka processed. After all the time assuring her _she_ wasn't doing the wrong thing, he now had the exact same concern about telling her the truth. Valka downed a full glass of wine, then poured another before addressing him again.

"You were right to tell me. I would not wish you to have carried the knowledge all alone."

"Yeah but... I get the feeling it bothers you more than me."

She raised an eyebrow, well into her second glass already.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, yeah, I know it's weird and kind of illegal and everything else, but I only _just_ found out I even had a birth mother. You've always known you had a son."

"Illegal... gods, it was!"

Hiccup held his hands up, trying to pacify her.

"I checked, we didn't know so even if we _told_ somebody, which I don't see happening, we'd just get told not to do it again now we do know."

"Of _course_ it wouldn't happen again! Gods Hiccup-"

"I know! I was just trying to reassure you we aren't gonna get locked up. Which I was sorta worried about when _I_ found out."

Valka ran a hand over her face, finished her second and poured her third glass of wine. Sipping, Hiccup was still not even halfway through the first. But then, he had to get home yet. Valka could get drunk and go right to bed. With the knowledge she'd slept with her son... yeah, Hiccup didn't really blame her for wanting to be at least mildly intoxicated. She heaved a great sigh, shaking her head.

"How... how could I do that? To _you_?"

Hiccup frowned.

"It took two to tango. And we _didn't know._ "

"But-"

"No. No buts. I think I should go, but you didn't 'do' something terrible 'to' me. We were strangers who hooked up and had fun. That was before. If you want me to stay out of your life, I will. But if you want to... get to know me, I guess, then we just put _that_ in the past. I don't want to be in your life if it will just make you feel guilty."

Valka had reached out with every intention of giving Hiccup the _choice._ He was going to do the same for her. Placing his mostly-full glass down, Hiccup turned back toward the front door. He doubted he ever had or ever would be able to drop such a massive bombshell on anybody ever again.

Arms closed around him from behind, Valka smelling like paint and wine and something undefinably _her._

"Thank you."

Given her behaviour up until that moment, Hiccup was a little baffled.

"For what?"

"Just... ending over twenty years of wondering. You're a wonderful man."

Hiccup turned, let Valka hug him properly. He left soon after, unsure what to say and worried if he stayed any longer Valka would start crying. That emotional surge seemed seperate from the horror at what they'd done, the welling up of all the years she'd wondered, the freedom she finally felt to search. He wouldn't deny her that. Hiccup was uniquely aware what it had meant to her to find him - she'd admitted it, after intimacy and sex had brought down her guard until she spoke freely to him about her life and her fears, whispered in early morning hours as he held her.

So when she held him again despite everything, he knew she must have needed it.

He walked home, resolutely focusing on getting back before he thought too hard about where they might go from there. Toothless sensed his conflicted mood, clambering up next to him for pets and nuzzles, letting out little whines until Hiccup resumed stroking his furry head.

"It's a bit of a mess, huh bud?"

Toothless' answer was to roll over for a belly scratch. Hiccup obliged, aware that he couldn't really talk to anyone about what had happened. Well, nobody except his dog, and Valka if she came around, could get past their sexual history to try and build... a friendship, he supposed. Given his hopes for most of the time they'd been intimately involved, _relationship_ felt like the wrong word.

* * *

Hiccup.

Hiccup.

 _Hiccup._ He was her son. Her _son._

Valka sank against the wall after he left, groaning into her hands. Of _all_ the people she could have... why did it have to be _him?_

She saw the bottom of the wine bottle before sleep finally found her - a blissfully dream free sleep, followed by reality in the morning. Hungover, Valka could only vaguely remember something had happened the night before... until she found the crumpled bit of paper on the floor with her name and number on it.

Then she remembered. Hiccup turning up, late and confusing. Then him telling her - he was the son she'd been looking for.

She'd fucked the boy she gave birth to. _Repeatedly._ Gods, Valka had been _falling_ for him! She'd been missing his arms around her and his voice in her ear not five minutes before Hiccup showed up. Dragging a hand through her hair, she groaned. How could she... how could he... oh, what a mess.

And it wasn't as though she could **tell** anyone. Who on earth would ever have understood?

For a moment, Valka tried to loophole. What if the agency made a mistake? He might not be... they could have taken a DNA test to be sure? But those thoughts fizzled after very little time, and Valka knew in her gut it was true. Now she'd looked? Thought about it? She saw herself in him. His green eyes and long, thin frame. Freckled cheeks and an artists touch. How ironic that he'd helped her re-find the artistic nature he'd inherited from her to begin with.

If only that was _all_ he'd found in her. Valka could have dismissed a one night stand, something that was just proof she was lonely and not thinking clearly. But she'd kept going back, over and over, learning his body in a way a mother never should as he learned hers in ways a _son_ never should have. They'd shared intimate kisses that made Valka _feel_ things, held each other through the night like lovers.

And that last time... Valka knew it had been stupid. No barriers, no contraception. Just a mindless need for one more time... she'd gotten her period since then, so nothing dangerous had come of it, but Valka now realised she'd risked getting pregnant by him. Gods, what if she _had_ done? Gone to tell him, because he'd have had the right to know, only for him to turn around and drop a bigger bombshell?

She stood under the shower for a long time, trying to scrub the ghost of his touch from her skin as though it would cleanse the memories from her mind. His hands, his mouth... Valka shuddered, certain she should feel more of a sickness for it. Perhaps she just needed time to process that he really was her son? It had all come out so fast, and then he was gone. He'd let her hug him though, clutch her boy to her chest like a mother for just a minute. Hopefully he hadn't noticed her tearing up.

Valka went to work, did her best not to think about Hiccup much at all, grateful to her friends there for not prying into her distracted mood.

 _I don't want to be in your life if it will just make you feel guilty._

Hiccup's words rang in her mind as she sat at home, thinking. Could she put what happened behind them? Or would she forever look at him and think of what they'd done?

She reached out to him via text message after several hours of thinking, asking to see him the next day. He declined, because he had a _date._ Well, at least he seemed to be able to go out and meet people, so perhaps Valka _hadn't_ completely ruined her son by sleeping with him. It was comforting, in a weird way she supposed.

Maybe they could just... be friends. Get to know each other. _If_ she was able to move on from it.

Was she?

Hiccup offered to see her the following afternoon - he was off work, had no plans. Equally available, Valka agreed.

They met in public, Hiccup stood at the pre-agreed spot with Toothless at his side, who wagged his tail and gave Valka a greeting bark before his owner noticed her.

"Hey. Hope you don't mind the company, Toothless loves this park."

"Not at all."

Awkward silence fell, Hiccup eventually breaking it with tension in the crease between his eyebrows.

"Soooo... what did you decide? Are we gonna be friends? Or is this too much for you?"

-HTTYD-

 **Dun dun dunnnn**


	9. Chapter 9

**I know, I know... I swear I never forgot, and I appreciate all the people who've checked in about this story.  
**

-HTTYD-

How had he ever thought it was a good idea? Hiccup had expected finding out she was his _biological mother_ was going to be some kind of mental switch, that he'd stop having all the same feelings he'd had before toward her.

But no. Hiccup was finding out very quickly that that was not the case.

Letting Valka invite him to her house was a _bad_ idea, more than anything. He had too many memories of pretty much every single room, having trysted with the woman so many times. But Valka had turned a wall into an outlet for her creativity, and Hiccup had agreed to see it since she was so enthusiastic about art again because of him.

"Are you alright Hiccup?"

"Me? Fine. Why?"

"You've been staring blankly for the last few minutes."

Swallowing, Hiccup shrugged.

"Sorry, spacing out. I'm still getting used to this whole... thing, I guess."

Valka's mouth tipped down at the edges, and Hiccup ached for the knowledge he'd made her sad.

"If this is too much-"

"It's not. I was genuine when I said I'm happy to be in your life. This is just... still a bit surreal?"

She nodded slowly.

"If you're sure..."

"I am. Talk to me about your wall."

Valka giggled lightly at what would otherwise be a rather peculiar sentence, and turned back to the colourful display she'd made. She was _incredible,_ her shapes and colours so unique, so beautiful.

 _She_ was so beautiful... Hiccup dragged his mind away from that avenue. Not easy, when he was one who appreciated art so much. And Valka was _absolutely_ a work of art. Why did she have to be his birth mother?

"I love this part here. The shading, the angles, the _shapes..._ how did you go so long with all this creativity buried within? It's a travesty."

Her cheeks flushed prettily. Hiccup wanted to trace her freckles, barely visible when not up close but he'd _been_ close. Closer than a son should be to a mother...

"I wonder that myself. I _adore_ this newfound freedom."

"Good. What's this over here?"

Hiccup left half an hour later, dizzy and disorientated by the strength of desires he had hoped would vanish. Valka hugged him goodbye, and he hated himself for noticing how nice she felt pressed against him again.

He went home and flopped on his sofa, rubbed his face and groaned very loudly. Toothless loped over and whined, sensing Hiccup's turbulent mood.

"I know buddy. What can I do though? I gotta get past this."

Toothless offered no solutions other than comfort, panting softly as Hiccup stroked his furry head. Both jumped when Hiccup's phone vibrated on the table.

 _Please don't be Valka, please don't be Valka, please don't..._

Hiccup sighed in a sort of relief when he saw Astrid's name on the screen, tapping _answer_ and holding the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Hey! I wasn't sure if you'd be back yet... unless you're still with her?"_

Stomach twisting slightly, Hiccup shook his head before remembering they were on the phone and Astrid could not see him. He'd explained _some_ of what was going on - that he'd gotten in touch with his birth mother, and was going to try and get to know her.

He hadn't said anything about just _how_ he knew her before. That was still his and Valka's secret.

"No, I just got back."

 _"Ah, cool. How was your first day with your birth mom?"_

Hiccup shuddered inwardly. He wasn't about to tell Astrid the truth...

"It was ok. A bit awkward, but I think that's to be expected while we get used to each other. We talked about art though, which was already a common interest of ours."

 _"Makes sense. Hopefully it gets less awkward."_

"Yeah. I'm sure it will. We're still basically strangers, despite the whole... mother and son thing."

Astrid didn't keep him long, agreeing they'd see each other at his next art class rather than push Hiccup to arrange another date when his mind was elsewhere for the moment. He appreciated it immensely. Getting up to make a cup of tea, Hiccup then went back to his sofa perch and called his mom to tell her how it went. She was very happy to hear it hadn't gone badly, and Hiccup adored her for it. Any mild irritation for the surprise of his being adopted had long faded.

Even if she'd told him, Hiccup and Valka had already had sex before he ever knew she had a son his age that she'd given up for adoption. The damage was done.

He texted his dad to let him know it had gone alright too - his father abhorred phone calls, always had. Hiccup didn't really mind - they chatted plenty in person, texts could fill the spaces in between those conversations.

All that done with, Hiccup flopped back down and resumed angsting slightly. Nobody knew he'd slept with Valka. Well, except Valka. And possibly a few of her friends, though he highly doubted she'd admitted to the fact her brief fling had transpired to be with her long lost son. While Hiccup didn't really _want_ to say the words "I had sex with my biological mother by accident" to anybody, part of him wished for somebody to confide in without concern for revealing the torrid secret.

 _Really,_ Hiccup knew the best choice would have been to tell Valka he found it too difficult to be around her, and let the terrible feelings fizzle away in time.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when he'd _seen_ Valka... so relieved to know she had not made the wrong choice, so overjoyed to see him grown and happy. She'd whispered her secrets to him about how she missed the baby she gave up, and he was the only person who could ease that pain. And the part of him that had been falling for Valka before he found out? That part wouldn't let him hurt her like that.

* * *

 _He's your son. He's your son. He's your **son.**_

Valka had to repeat that to herself about a dozen times when she first opened the door to Hiccup, because her stomach still fluttered at his (admittedly nervous) smile, and memories of them stumbling through doors barely aware of where they were assaulted her when she looked at him.

But he'd been sweet enough despite everything to offer Valka the chance to get to know him - as a person, not a _lover_ \- and she ached to know all she could about the son she'd had to give up so long ago.

Valka just wished she could erase the memories of his hands on her skin, the way his mouth felt against hers...

Hiccup seemed uncomfortable with her, at least for the moment. Valka couldn't blame him. They were in something of a unique situation, after all.

The absurdity of it all definitely made Valka thankful for the negative pregnancy tests she'd taken, after that foolish instance where they'd had unprotected sex. Gods only knew how they'd have dealt with _that_ if she had fallen pregnant by him, and just getting her period hadn't been enough to reassure her when her mind raked those memories over again and again. But the tests had calmed her...

Now if only she could calm herself. Hiccup hugging her goodbye shouldn't have made her heart quicken, and her instinct should _not_ have been to kiss him goodbye again.

He was right. They needed to just put all _that_ in the past, and move on.

Easier said than done when she had memories of him attached to every room of her house, because apparently they'd just been that incapable of resisting each other. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Valka picked up her paintbrush again. Art helped clear her mind.

Hiccup apologised for not being able to meet her for the upcoming week - between work, the art class, dinner with his parents and a date, he was just too busy. Valka knew it was probably a good thing to maintain a little distance when a spark of jealousy twisted in her gut over the idea he had a date.

She just wanted Hiccup's time. Valka tried to convince herself of that for the better part of an hour, before resolutely distracting herself with chocolate and a documentary about penguins. It didn't really work, but it passed the time until Valka could go to bed.

When the very busy week was up - in which Valka absolutely didn't strongly consider going to Hiccup's art class again at all - Hiccup did ask to see her again, and Valka did her best to ignore any flutters in her chest as she agreed. He invited her to go to him, the invitation including the offer of sharing dinner. Valka went, a touch apprehensive about returning there for the first time since they discovered who they were to each other.

Toothless was happy to see her, which was very nice, and she absolutely _had_ to bend down and give him some attention for being so ridiculously cute. Hiccup offered her a small smile as he brought her a drink over and shooed Toothless to his bed.

"Sorry, think he missed you."

"I don't mind. He's very sweet."

Hiccup nodded, leaving her there with her drink while he went to putter around his kitchen for a few minutes. Valka tapped her fingers against the cup, waiting for the hot liquid to cool a little. She'd just taken a few sips and put the mug down when Hiccup returned, looking a little awkward.

"I uh... I found these things. And I thought you might want to see them."

He placed two books down in front of her, and Valka's stomach flipped when she saw the titles. " _Genetic Sexual Attraction, The Bond of Siblings"_ and _"_ _Adoption Reunion Virus: Why US?"_ on the spines.

"What are these?"

"Books. About... well, what happened with us is not unique, it turns out. I wouldn't say normal or common, but we're not the first people to meet as adults and find each other attractive, despite being related. I know you've been feeling guilty, I thought it might help you to see it wasn't some personal fault. It's just a weird thing that happens sometimes."

Her heart ached for a minute, breathless with the intensity of how she felt toward Hiccup. Swallowing heavily, Valka nodded slowly and pulled the books toward her.

"I think I would prefer to read these at home, alone?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, take all the time you need with them. I got them off the internet... would have been a weird thing to buy in person."

Valka picked up her drink again to try and conceal how her hands were shaking. She supposed it should have been a relief of sorts to know it wasn't just her being a sick, twisted individual, that there were others and it was something out of their control.

But Valka still felt burdened by the fact that surely, now she _knew,_ she shouldn't still feel that way for him.

Hiccup smiled at her again, his expression a touch nervous after presenting her with books that _acknowledged_ what happened between them was... _incest._ Just the word should've been enough to repulse her.

 _So why didn't it?_

-HTTYD-

 **The books Hiccup gave to Valka exist, but thus far I could only find them as e-books. So they're real, but I changed their available format.**


End file.
